Magers Forum

I was an advocate of the GM system when we brought it in... I think it works pretty well, but it does have it's flaws..

Pros
- Everyone who wants to, gets a chance to pick their favourite games from time to time and there aren't a handful of people always dictating what games get played.
- Not everyone needs to bring games every week.
- There is a bit less time wasted discussing what games people have and what people want to play.

Cons
- GMs were meant to pick games in advance and post their choices online. This did not happen, so some time is still wasted picking games.
- Some people have been on the GM rota without turning up for a few weeks.. this meant it wasn't always easy to tell who was going to be a GM.


So, perhaps there is another idea out there we could try instead. The key features must be - giving everyone, especially the less-vocal majority, a chance to pick games AND trying to reduce time wasted picking games.

That said, I am happy for the GM rota to keep going. I'm not entirely sure how we decide who is going to be on the list, if we no longer need subscriptions... perhaps everyone gets to be on the list and we just keep a record of when people had a turn and start up a rota from there.

My thoughts are that the GM system can work and it has in the past but it hasn't been recently. I wasn't on the GM list for 2010 so haven't been paying much attention but I have noticed that there's often a block at the top of the list meaning that people lower down are never sure whether it's going to be their turn on a given week.

[list]
[*] Everyone is on the GM list, when someone new joins the group they get added to the bottom.[/*:m]
[*] If it's your turn to be GM and you don't turn up, you forfeit your turn.[/*:m]
[*] The top three people on the list are GMs. If we have to have more than 3 groups the remaining gamers can decide amongst themselves what to play after the GM games are full. This will prevent having a GM turn forced upon someone unexpectedly. Also if we have less than 3 groups, the ones who didn't use their turn will stay at the top for the following week.[/*:m]
[*] If you need to, or want to defer it must be done a week in advance - though I'm tempted to say no deferrals at all.[/*:m][/list:u]

Hopefully these rules will keep the list in rotation and there will be 3 people bringing games each week, plus anyone else who brings them.

There was further discussion of this last night with the following results...

[list][*]Possibility of using GM fees to buy games to keep in stock
[list][*]Philip to investigate our being able to keep a small cabinet/box at the HMCC (preferably free of charge)[/*:m]
[*]Choosing games may be difficult, since everything interesting is pretty much already owned by someone in the group, or will get bought at the first opportunity in Essen[/*:m]
[*]I suggest that possibly the best value for money would be some smaller, quick games to keep in stock, for the beginning of the evening when there are only 2-3 people here[/*:m]
[*]Perhaps also one 'training-wheels game' to keep at the HMCC so we'll always have something for new members unfamiliar with gaming. eg classic Ticket to Ride, because it's a great game and easy to learn[/*:m][/list:u][/*:m][/list:u]

If not games, other possibilities Roger and Donald and I thought of for the money:

[list][*]advertising[/*:m]
[*]custom T-shirts to wear to Stabcon (?!)[/*:m]
[*]other communal accessories such as poker chips/dice tower/notepads for scorekeeping (but we couldn't think of anything really must-have here; most of us already have all the accessories we need)[/*:m]
[*]annual party[/*:m][/list:u]

There are some very good points being made here. Here's my opinion to throw into the mix.

with reference to the GM list. When numbers are large, the GM system works. When numbers are low, it is not needed, it is sometimes just a fact that it is what game can accommodate the number of people there, for example, there was 5 of us between xmas and new year and there was 2 games there able to take 5 or more, so there was little choice, so the GM system was not needed, but if it was not in place the time taken to decide the games would be fairly lengthy, plus, if I remember right, the GM system was brought in to encourage quieter members of the magers to be able to pick a game rather than go along with what the others say, sometimes, before it was in place there could be a half hour discussion before starting a game!!

It is an unusual position to be in as if you look at some of the other gaming groups nearby, they do not get anywhere near the numbers we get at the magers, the smaller amount of people, the easier it is to pick a game. At Fanboy we get 4 - 7 usually, makes choosing a game easy, when I've been to bolton theres been about 6 - 8 so no problem choosing there. At Manowar on a good day we get 4!!

I think that the delay in getting games started is down to everyone in general rather than the GMs who pick the game. As an example, last night, Andy picked Shadows and a handful of people jumped onto it right away while others waited to see what else was picked. GM's often have a game in mind, but sometimes the numbers who are available for it make it unfeasible, therefore altering the GMs choice.

If we are able to store games at the Con club, it would remove the problem of people having to transport games either straight from work or on public transport, or bikes. So GM's deferring will be less of a problem, but people who are lower down the list tend not to mind GMing when they dont expect to. I usually bring some games along, as do a good number of magers, to improve the selection for others who may not have brought any with them on the day of their GM.

I agree that if we choose to use the money to start a games library, using it to get 'training' games like ticket to ride is an excellent idea, so that we can always introduce non gamers to the easier games to play. Having games like Saboteur and Diamant on the shelf would be a good thing too. I'm sure someone could do a poll on here to suggest how/which games we get. But I would lean towards the easier/smaller games, plus what we could try to blag from companies. But one point about games that we have in our collections, a lot of stuff, only one person in the magers owns, so if they are not there or don't have it, then it can't be played. Avoiding games that a lot of us have or turn up at the club on a regular basis is a good idea, but we shouldn't rule one out just because one person has it.

If we are not able to get storage at the con club, or we decide against it, T shirts would be a good idea, party/buffet at christmas would be good too, not too sure about advertising though, as do we want to get lots more people? look how crowded it was the Tuesday after Essen, i think it was about 23.

Anyway, thats just my opinion.

Stew, I could have written that message myself, I agree with every single point!

It seems like the general consensus is that we keep the GM list going.
We currently have 137.50GBP in the kitty, although I may still need to make a payment to Brendan for website hosting from 2 or 3 years ago!
We also need to keep a small reserve to pay for our domain name which is due for renewal this year.

If we collect 2011 subscriptions now, I estimate that we will have around 120-140GBP available to spend. If we decide to go down the route of a games library, then this would give us a very good start!

I'd like to make a suggestion that Inky gets a free subscription as way of thanks for hosting the website for free :)

I have lots of plastic poker chips which I'll donate to the cabinet if we're allowed one. I don't think advertising is necessary, but I do like the idea of t-shirts to wear at cons, but please, if we do get them, don't wear the same one for all three days of stabcon!

I'm with Stew. GMs seem to be realistic about altering their choices if there aren't enough people, so that's fine.

Personally I don't mind people deferring for one week: I've done that myself a few times, because sometimes I can't transport my games into work and on to Magers (that's British weather and living half-an-hour's walk from the tram station for ya). Deferring for multiple weeks is probably taking the pee and the designated GM should just pick something that's there, even if it's not their favourite.

"deanrthomas":

I'd like to make a suggestion that Inky gets a free subscription as way of thanks for hosting the website for free :)

Seconded.

"Inky":

I do like the idea of t-shirts to wear at cons, but please, if we do get them, don't wear the same one for all three days of stabcon!

Eeew.

Party, party party!

oh and you may want to remove me from the list for now .... I am moving to preston for six months, although I will be back on occasional tuesdays

Hope you're not moving to that street listed as the most crime-ridden street in the UK :P

I fancy the idea of Variable Magers T Shirt for conventions etc. Anyone got any ideas for artwork though?

My uni had a very good t-shirt....picture of a nasty Hind coming towards you witht he strapline "Dicing with Death." It gets the point across.

ADS

PS I wasn't a Cylon...

Philip said that we are ok to have a cupboard at the con club, the suggestion (cant remember who it was, may have been inky) that we have a combination lock is great so we can tell the manager of the venue as well as all us knowing it.

Another suggestion, how about instead of paying £5, we could have an option of donating a game to the group instead. It would help boost the games cupboard.

Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space (possibly the best name ever) looks like a good one for the cupboard. Up to 8 players and estimated length 20 minutes. Has anyone tried it?

Boardgameguru has it on pre-order for £18.

Is anyone going to take the responsibility for sourcing a cupboard then?
Obviously we don't really want to pay a lot of money, if anything.
Stew mentioned Freecyle as a possibility?

I'll start collecting subscriptions again, now I know there's a reason. I'll leave the current GM list in place until the start of March.

We need to have a think about which games to populate said cupboard with.
Perhaps we need a list of nominations and then everyone can have a vote on what they want.
Post your nomination lists on this thread and I'll formulate a voting mechanism.

I think if a few of us look out for something and then post here if we find something. I asked Mary to take a look in the charity shops in Cheadle the other day, but she said only 1 shop had furniture, and there was nothing suitable.
Freecycle is definitely worth a look .. as is Gumtree.

I'm guessing we don't want anything too big, but it should probably fit games in the various sizes:- Days of Wonder square; Hans Im Glueck rectangle etc.

I agree that games should be nominated and voted on - iirc this is how they did it at "Beyond Monopoly! York". We could also look at what games get played most often. Some of us may be able to donate games.. and it might be worth trying to pick some up at the auction in March.

"Herms":

Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space (possibly the best name ever) looks like a good one for the cupboard. Up to 8 players and estimated length 20 minutes. Has anyone tried it?

Boardgameguru has it on pre-order for £18.

I have a copy here, at home, we can try at some point before we buy.

I spoke to Martin Wallace last weekend and I mentioned him going on the GM list. I also told him about the idea of using the membership money to buy games for the group. He mentioned about giving the group a game (or more) to the group to go onto the members list, I said that I'd mention it on here to see what people say.

I'm happy for Martin to donate a game and go on the list.

We still need to find some for of storage that we can keep at the club.

Great discussion folks. Glad you have finally adopted 'games cabinet idea' (everyone just said, that's coz you are too lazy to bring your games! which is true..). Nice donation from Martin to keep us going.

Suggestion to donate a game instead of subs is also good. Anyhow, I am permanently not in Manchester and expect to come to Magers only once every couple of months. So, after my visit 'today' (Tuesday 8th March 2011), not sure then when my next visit is and I agree that GMs who are not there should drop back to bottom.

Those of us who then only come occasionally, if we fancy being GM, can post here and ask if they can be put ahead that particular week if current GM does not mind.

Cya all soon!

Chooi,

I wouldn't have a problem with it, but I am speaking for myself here, not on behalf of the group. It will be good to see you tonight.